Assembly/AU/6(XVI) Page 13 (b) CSOs, Think Tanks and Faith based Organizations 49. Building on the relevant provisions of the AU Constitutive Act and the PSC Protocol, the Commission is planning to launch an annual forum with CSOs, which will serve as a platform for interaction between the AU and civil society in the area of peace and security. It is expected that the forum will facilitate the contribution of these organizations to the quest for peace. Moreover, the forum will provide a space for exchange of best practices and experiences. (iv) Peace Education 50. Entrenching a culture of peace in African societies, educating the young African generations on the value of peace as a sine qua non condition for the consolidation of the progress achieved and the promotion of sustainable peace. The Lesson Plan which was taught in African schools on Peace Day is a useful awareness raising tool. A long term strategy should be put in place to ensure that, in all African academic institutions, peace becomes part of the curricula. To this aim, the Commission recommends that national African educational systems develop lesson plans on peace to be taught at all levels and calls on Member States to extend the necessary cooperation. (v) Support to Academic Institutions 51. In the Tripoli Declaration, the Heads of State and Government, having stressed that making and sustaining peace and security is also an intellectual challenge, undertook to build the capacity of African universities and research institutions to explore the nature of African conflicts, to investigate what succeeds and what fails in conflict resolution efforts, and to arrive at African-centred solutions. Efforts to this end should be intensified, building on the steps already taken, including the support extended to the Institute for Peace and Security Studies of the Addis Ababa University and the ongoing initiative for the establishment, within the Addis Ababa University, of an AU Endowed Chair, whose major objective will be to provide a distinctive African scholarly perspective on pressing issues in peace and security, socio-economic integration and other relevant matters. (vi) Support to peace building activities undertaken in Africa 52. The Commission will continue and intensify the ongoing efforts in support of peace building on the continent. In this respect, and in order to foster coordination at both strategic and operational level, the Commission intends to institutionalize the Cairo High-level Retreat, which will be held on an annual basis. (vii) Resource Mobilisation 53. In the Tripoli Declaration, the Heads of State and Government committed themselves to substantially increase Member States’ contribution to the Peace Fund, for Africa to truly own the ongoing efforts to promote peace, security and stability on the

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